(Yicai Global) July 11 -- The Asia-Pacific's single largest solar power plant, built by Chinese contactor Power Construction, has started generating electricity in Vietnam.

Located in the northern part of the country's Binh Thuan province, the 325-megawatt photovoltaic plant was jointly contracted by Beijing-based PowerChina International Group and Guiyang-based PowerChina Guiyang Engineering, China News reported today.

The project will rebalance the energy mix in Vietnam, boosting the amount of electricity than comes from clean energy. It can provide 520 million-kilowatt hours of energy to the local power grid, saving 175,000 tons of standard coal and cutting 43.9 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to the project's manager.

The solar farm has nearly one million photovoltaic panels and covers an area of 6,000 acres. The PV panels are supported by about 160,000 reinforced concrete precast piles and are linked by about 2,200 kilometers collector lines.

The contract for the project was signed at the end of last August. The installation and commissioning of all PV equipment in the main contract was completed in May.